You can go to your GP surgery to have your smear test conducted and it's usually
taken by the practice nurse. In some areas you can also have it taken at a
well women's center or sexual health clinic.
The procedure involves taking a sample of
cells from the cervix which is the opening of the womb. The person carrying
out the smear will ask you to undress from the waist down
and ask you to lie down on the examination couch.
They will ask you to bend your knees and open your legs.
An instrument called a speculum will be inserted into your vagina and used to open the walls of the
vagina so that your cervix can be seen.
A soft brush is then inserted through the speculum
onto your cervix. The brush will be rotated a few times to collect the sample.
The brush will then be washed in a specimen pot
and the pot will be sent to the lab for processing.
One of the items we use is a speculum.
It's a plastic instrument that is inserted inside and opened slightly to allow us to see the
neck of the uterus which is the cervix.
A small amount of water based lubricant
can be applied to the speculum to help make the examination more comfortable.
It's important to remember that you're always in control. If at any point you're
feeling that it's too uncomfortable you can always ask your smear test taker to stop.
You can of course take any friend or relative with you to your appointment for a smear test.
If you have a specific gender preference of the person who will
be taking your smear please speak to the clinic where you have or will make your
appointment to see if they can accommodate you.
You should get the results of your smear test within 2-6 weeks by letter.
If the results are abnormal the letter should explain what was found.
What happens next depends on what was found in your smear.
It may be that you have minor changes and you'll be invited back for a smear.
If there are more significant changes in
your results you will be referred to a specialist clinic called a colposcopy
clinic where further tests and possible treatment can be carried out.
Within the NHS we advise that women continue to have smear tests taken to the age of 64.
Once you've had a normal smear test taken at the age of 64 there's no need
to attend for any further cervical screening.